Reinforced concrete construction.



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEmE.

EDWARD sMULsKnoE BRooKLINE; MASSACHUSETTS.

Toall fwLom imag concern.'

Be 1t known that L EDWARD SMULSKI, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented an Improvement in Reinforced. Concrete `Construction, of whiclrthe following descrip@ tion, in connection with the accompanying drawlngs, 1s a specification,` like characters on the drawings representing. like parts.

This invention lrelates toV concrete rein-r forcing means and among other objects provides a strong, simple and effective con# struction.

The ,character of the invention maybe bestun'derstood by reference to the followingdescription of 'an illustrative embodi ment thereof shown' in the e, accompanying drawingywherein/:f f o. Y

Figure lisa pl` 'nfof illustrative reinforcing means shown Aherein Vas embodying the invention; y 'y n e n Fig. 2 isa vertical transverse'section taken on line 2-2`ofy Figil; A v

Fig. 3 is a .verticaltransverse section taken onilineeaofrig. naad q Fig.` Ll is a detailto be' referredto.r n Referring tothe drawings, 1 'designates a slab yof concrete adapted. to be mounted on propriate supports@V4 n The` upper portions of the` slab `directly above`the columns experience the greatest the heads 3 of columns'5, or on other api tensionostress, while the .lowest portions off.'

thelslab above Vfthe columns experience-the greatest compression' stress. f In'thecentral` The reinforcing units above the columnsr each comprises a series of interrupted substantially circular bars 7 preferably concentrically arranged and of progressively increasing diameters. Aswell shown 1n Fig.

mold form to *uniform arrangement.

y REINFORCED *CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION.

Speccatonof Letters Patent.j Patented Apr. 24, 1917. Appiication'lea Aprniaieis. semaine. 20,599.y

f2, these bars are located in the upper portion ofthe slab above the column which is' 'under thev greatest 'tension stress.

Each of these. bars Vhas overlapping end portions 9 terminating in downwardly bent lends .11' whichjserve the dual function of anchoring thefends of the bar to prevent Athemspreading open, and also to position.

ythe bar the appropriate distance from a produce the greatest strength ening effect; I f

"Theoverlapped' portions form in effect a splice forconnectingl the ends of the bar. Thesplices ofthe series of bars preferably are notarrangedA in radial alinement, but .are distributed circumferentiallytof the series as shownl in Fig. l, thereby providing a Directl beneaththecircular series of tension bars is arrangeda series of radial bars ljiand 1'5. Tok ar'ic'hory these bars.' they are provided with ldownwardly and outwardly bent portions forming hooks 17and19., The hooks 17 are. anchored aroundan'v inner circular'bar 21, and the hooks 19l areanchored aroundv a circularbar 23', having a' diameter slightly larger than' thatof the circular bar 21.. As shown herein, the. radial bars 13 `are arranged alternately Lwith the radial bars 15. To` contribute to the strengthening of the central region of the slab located between the columns some yof the radial bars may be omewhat longer than others of the radial ars. 1 An assembly-,of circulary andV radial bars such as described will'be provided in the slab above each column. While in Fig. 1

'merely two columns .and their reinforcing units are shown, it is to be understood that similar'columns and'units are provided at the other two corners lof the slab.

Next will be ldescribed the reinforcing unit for the jcentral .region of the slab. To this end. there .is providedfa'series ofbars 25,

`which are closely arrangedwin and near the lower surface of thecentral -region -of the slab whichk'is.l yunder the greatest-tension stress,` and spread or flare divergingly outl wardin opposite ljdirections from the center of the slab intoiregions thereof which are under less tension stress. A similar series ofbars 27 is provided transversely crossing the other series of bars. In order that both series' may be in substantially the same plane 'where they are most needed to add to the strength of the construction under tension,

one series may have bent or offset portions 29 (Fig. 3) crossing the other set. The offset bend should be slight and gradual to avoid as much as possible departure from the plane of the series.

Each series of diagonally crossing bars may be provided with hook-like ends 31 which serve advantageously to anchor the bars in the slab.

To further strengthen the central region of theslabthere may be provided a series of substantially circular bars p'referably located directly above the series of crossing bars 25Lan`d 27. Thesecircular bars have diameters progressively increasing outwardly from the center of theslab, and serve to bind the centralregion of the vslab with hoop #like action.

` To further strengthen `the slab Sets of straight bars 35 may be provided in-themarginal portionsofthe slab `surrounding lthe central reinforcing unittherefor.

yReinforcing units fnear the. upper surface ofthe slab above'the ypoints ofthe column supports may be constructed as shown at theY right of Fig. l or as shown atthe left of Fig. l. At the right ofzsaidgure some of the radial bars of the unit arey hooked about one circular bar, whereasV others yof said radial bars arehooked about another circular bar. At the left of Fig.- ball of the radial bars `are hooked about the same circular bar.

Itis ,the usual practice toll intheconcrete in the mold forthefcolumn and permit the sameto set for a time before filling in the concrete for the head ofthe column and for the slab. kBefore pouring in the concrete for thehead ofthe columm'any scum or other foreign materialwhich mayhave `accumulated on the top of the vcolumn is cleaned off. Preferably the inner circular bar of the reinforcing unit above the column is made ysufficiently large toprovide ample room for access ,to thetop ofthe column to remove such scum ormaterial.

The reinforcing means described furnishes a very advantageous construction. The crossing series ofdiverging bars areL arranged to concentrate the greatest reinforcement atthe center of the slab where most needed and `fan out toward the `columns where the reinforcement is less needed, and substantially strengthen the regions which are not covered by the central series of circular bars. ,The flaring arrangement provides a maximum strengthening of the slab with a yminimum material. Fewer bars are necessary than would be required if the diagonal ,barsl extendedstraight across the center of the slab. kIf straightbars were used,

obviously substantial portions thereof intermediate their ends would be far from the center where they are most needed.

Since each diagonal bar of the series ofy tion of more or less bars than needed would be almost inevitable. Obviously, if a large numberof bars is employed, the detection of such mistakes would be diflicult and would require close attention.

:The central reinforcing unit comprising theseries of diagonal crossing bars and circularbars isindependent of the reinforcing units above the columns and may .be assembled to a templet at the shop or in the yard if desired, and then may be placed as a unit on themold form.

vHaving described one illustrative embodiment ofthe invention withoutlimiting the same thereto, what I claim as new and desire to -secure by Letters Patent, is The combination with a concrete slab, of supporting columns therefor; reinforcing members in the upper surface portion4 of the slab diverging from the axes of the columns, circumferential reinforcing members extending transversely to said diverging members; groups of reinforcing members in the .lower surface portion of the slab, crossing one another at the center of the slab, land extending diagonally across the slab .with end portions intermingling with some of said diverging members, each of said groupsv having portions in compact relation at `the center ofthe slab to provide ample reinforcement therefor and portions bent laterally outward from the center to provide less reinforcement for areas between the columns and the central area of the slab; central circumferential reinforcing members extending transversely to said groups of diagonal members g and groups of members for reinforcing areasy ofl thekslab between the columns surrounding said central circumferential members. v

In testimony whereof, I have signed my nameto this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD SMULSKL Witnesses:

HENRY'T. WILLIAMS, ROBERT H. KAMMLER.

copies qfthis patent mayk `'he obtained for vecents each, `by,aldressngthe Commissioner of Patents Washington, 31C. 

